TOTTENHAM are ready to join rivals Arsenal and Manchester United in the race for Juventus defender Merih Demiral.The Turkish central defender could become Jose Mourinho’s first signings as Spurs boss, after club officials contacted the player’s agent about a move.1 Merih Demiral could be Jose Mourinho’s first signing for SpursUnited sent scouts to watch the Juve star, who has not played as many games since the summer arrival of Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt.The player himself wants out after becoming disillusioned under new boss Maurizio Sarri.Demiral only moved to the Turin club in the summer.The 21-year-old had impressed for Sassuolo after moving to Italy from Turkish club Alanyaspor last January.He has produced some outstanding displays for Turkey this season, helping them qualify for the Euro 2020 finals.And the defender is now ready to move to England after indicating he did not want another move to another Italian club.Sarri, who quit Chelsea last summer, has Giorgio Chiellini and De Ligt.And he could cash in on Demiral, who only cost £15million, next month in order to free up cash to land Paul Pogba. Latest Tottenham newsHARRY ALL FOUR ITKane admits Spurs must win EIGHT games to rise into Champions League spotGossipALL GONE PETE TONGVertonghen wanted by host of Italian clubs as long Spurs spell nears endBELOW PARRSpurs suffer blow with Parrott to miss Prem restart after appendix operationPicturedSHIRT STORMNew Spurs 2020/21 home top leaked but angry fans slam silver design as ‘awful”STEP BY STEP’Jose fears for players’ welfare during restart as stars begin ‘pre-season’KAN’T HAVE THATVictor Osimhen keen on Spurs move but only if they sell Kane this summerMourinho knows he will most likely lose Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen next summer.The pair are out of contract at the end of this season and could leave on a free.The Portuguese boss will need a centre-half to partner Davinson Sanchez – and that will be his priority next month.Jose Mourinho reveals he gave up the chance to go to Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr fight to lead Spurs out against Burnleyread more

DELE ALLI’S furious response to Tottenham’s disappointing night against RB Leipzig has been revealed from a brilliant new camera angle.With Spurs left clinging on to their place in the Champions League having just conceded to the Germans, the midfielder was taken off by Jose Mourinho.Dele Alli didn’t react well after being substituted last night.😳 Mourinho claims that the midfielder was angry at his own performance and not at him being substituted. Alli has struggled recently after starting off very well under Mourinho.#Spurs #UCL #Football pic.twitter.com/wcs1upAvR8— Playa Bets (@Playabets) February 20, 2020 MAKE YOUR DEBUT Bet £5 get £20 in free bets for new customers at LadbrokesDele Alli slams ‘arrogant’ Spurs as Marcus Rashford ruins Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United return Cameras picked up Alli slamming a water bottle into the bench after leaving the pitch and slumping into his chair, where he took off his boots and threw them to the ground, too.With his head in his hands, the England international was clearly inconsolable as Tottenham’s week went from bad to worse.Timo Werner’s second-half penalty served as the winner on Leipzig’s trip to North London in their Champions League last-16 first leg meeting.Speaking after the 1-0 loss, Mourinho insisted Alli was unhappy with his own display rather than the nature of his exit.SPURS NEWS LIVE: Follow all the latest news on TottenhamMourinho told beIN Sports: “I think he was upset with his performance.”Not with the substitution, with his performance.”I tried to play the last part of the game with [Erik] Lamela on one side, Giovani [Lo Celso] on the other side and then with the two fast players through the middle.”The only problem was the two fast players were not fast any more because of fatigue.”2 Alli showed his anger after coming off the pitchCredit: Getty Images – Getty2 Mourinho defended the star’s reactionCredit: AFP or licensorslatest football newsGossipCROWD RETURNFA Cup final ‘may see 20,000 at Wembley in trial allowing some fans at games’CommentPHIL THOMASDiving and whining was never a good look and will seem worse after lockdownExclusive’I’M IN A BAD WAY’Ex-England star Kenny Sansom talks for first time since being attackedExclusiveBOURNE AGAINHowe says Cherries are stronger after lockdown with FIVE fit-again starsExclusiveSWAN THAT GOT AWAYSwansea wanted £3m Davies three years ago but couldn’t get work permitNEXT STEPJonny Hayes set to move to English Championship having been let go by CelticBAYERN 5 DUSSELDORF 0Lewa bags two as Bayern thump rivals to close on 8th straight titleTHEIR CALLReferees in Northern Ireland will be given choice on coming back says union bossFans online were divided over whether Alli showed passion or petulance as Spurs struggled without injured stars Son Heung-min and Harry Kane.One Tottenham Twitter account wrote: “That’s great to see. We want players who care about coming off the pitch and want to do better. Well done Dele, keep going and the goals will come.”Another, Shivani, added: “Sick of your tantrums you little b****! Play better and you won’t be subbed. Get over yourself.”Paul pointed out: “I showed my frustration in Dele tonight for probably the first time ever, but I’d still rather he walked off the pitch like this, than with a big smug smile. That would wind me up to be honest lol.”read more

MAURICIO POCHETTINO has put Newcastle on full alert by saying after six months out of football, his “tanks are full” and he is ready to manage again.And the former Spurs boss has given the Toon’s prospective new Saudi owners hope of landing him by revealing he and his coaching team would prefer to work in the Prem and are open to all offers.2 Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a move to Newcastle once their Saudi-backed takeover goes throughPoch, in his first newspaper interview since his gardening leave following his November sacking by Spurs ended this week, said: “Are we ready and hungry to get back to work? Yes. After six months, our tanks are completely full.“Always, you dream of the perfect club. The perfect project.“But we are a coaching staff that are open to listen to all the projects, all the people. We are learning and sharing ideas.“You never know when it’s going to be the motivation or the inspiration to say, Oh, they are the right people, and you want to be with them or their club.“We are very receptive to listen to all the people because every single conversation we can learn from and maybe we can see a motivation to go with them.”Pochettino has also been a target for Manchester United and Real Madrid in the past.The Premier League is the best league in the world. We enjoy it a lot.Mauricio PochettinoBut Newcastle’s new owners, led by mega-rich Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, will be in a position to swoop for the Argentinean as soon as their £300million takeover is officially rubber-stamped.The former Espanyol chief has worked in this country since joining Southampton in January 2013.Asked if he would prefer to stay in the Premier League, he said: “Of course we love England, and the Premier League. We feel very good here. We are still living here in London.“I am not going to change my feelings now because I am not involved in the Premier League at this moment.Latest Premier League newsExclusiveBOURNE AGAINHowe says Cherries are stronger after lockdown with FIVE fit-again starsLive BlogTOON LATESTNewcastle takeover LIVE: Follow all the latest updates in Saudi sagaLive Blogblues newsChelsea news LIVE – Latest updates from Stamford BridgeLive Blogunited newsMan Utd news LIVE – Latest updates from Old TraffordLive BlogGunners newsArsenal news LIVE – Latest updates from the EmiratesExclusiveRIYAD RAIDMan City’s Riyad Mahrez has three luxury watches stolen in £500,000 raidHEAT IS OFFHeaton will miss Aston Villa’s 10-game relegation dogfight with knee injuryPASSED THE TESTHuge boost to Project Restart with ZERO positive results in new Covid tests“I still think the Premier League is the best league in the world. We enjoy it a lot.“Of course, it’s one of the options. Of course, it can be my priority but I am not closed to move to a different country.“It’s going to be difficult to leave this country – but not impossible.”2Ex-Tottenham boss Pochettino scores incredible hole-in-one playing foot golf while in Qatar for Fifa Club World Cupread more

Photo caption: Beauden Barrett The British and Irish Lions used a rush defence to great effect in their drawn series against the All Blacks but first five eight Beauden Barrett said they will ready to counter if the Wallabies adopt the same tactic in Saturday’s opening Rugby Championship test in Sydney on Saturday.The All Blacks, romped through last year’s tournament with an average of six tries per match on the back of a fast-paced, high-skilled game with Barrett pulling the strings.In their three-test series, the Lions were able to stifle the All Blacks attack with a defensive pattern that pressured Barrett in close and cut off his options out wide.While other teams may see the system as a blueprint for how to play against the world champions, 2016 World Player of the Year Barrett said the All Blacks had already come up with ways of exploiting the space it can offer.”Some teams in Super Rugby adopted that style of defence too, and we do understand it puts the person with the ball under a bit more pressure,” Barrett said.”But … there are opportunities elsewhere.”If the Wallabies do bring that on Saturday, we have learned ways to deal with it. It is an ongoing trend; more teams are starting to bring that line speed.”While Australian rugby is beset by problems on and off the field, the ease with which All Blacks won last year’s southern hemisphere competition seems to have been forgotten, perhaps due to the Lions series.The Lions forced the All Blacks into errors, put them under sustained pressure and exposed some poor decision making.Barrett said the Lions series had been the ideal wake-up call.”We were perhaps tested in areas where we haven’t been before, so that’s exactly what we wanted,” he said.”We ask those hard questions of ourselves and of our team mates and it gets the best out of the team. It is just what we needed.”read more

The Cavani-Atlético de Madrid case continues to give controversy as the days progress. Walter Guglielmone, agent and brother of the Uruguayan striker, has stepped into the SER chain of Enrique Cerezo’s statements in which he accused the player’s family of trying to attack Atleti. Walter has come to ask: “Who is Enrique Cerezo?”. And he denies that the president has been present in the negotiations: “I never saw it this month, I don’t even know what role it plays”. He also points directly to the rojiblanco team as guilty that the operation has not crystallized: “Something they have to say to their hobby to explain why Edi hasn’t come“. In addition, he has stated that “Cavani was willing to perceive less than in the PSG”, after which he has shared the reason he has given up with the transfer: “Atlético could not cover the total economic cost of the operation and the PSG did not want to lower the amounts requested. Atlético de Madrid failed to close the agreement, “the agent and brother of the forward slipped.Finally, he has closed his speech with a question: “Do you think that Edi did not play for almost a month with the PSG so that I could drop the operation for a commission and that Edi did not fulfill his dream of going to Atlético de Madrid? And all the mess we ride with PSG … Because if it were for money, Edi would have gone to England, Manchester (United) or Chelsea, “he concluded.read more

Both teams had started the season far from their best level, and reached the 16th day distanced from their goals, third place in the case of the mattresses and European positions in the case of their rival. Despite the fact that the locals shot 23 times and the visitors 18, only three shots from each team went to goal. Simeone’s team, with a shot to the post by Joao Félix in the 85th minute, was the closest to taking the game.An assistant under sticksMarc-André Ter Stegen is, if not the best, one of the best goalkeepers in the world. His great footwork is undoubtedly one of his most distinctive features. The German goalkeeper is the first FC Barcelona goalkeeper to manage an assist in the League so far this century, data that shows why he is the most suitable goalkeeper for the culé team. Ter Stegen has made two assists so far in the championship. The first was against Getafe at the Coliseum, with a pass to Luis Suárez that allowed the Catalan team to open the can, in a match that would end 0-2. The second was two months later, this time in a 5-2 victory at Camp Nou against Mallorca, with a pass that also marked his team’s first goal. The German already has more assists in the League than Eden Hazard, Joao Félix or his teammate Jordi Alba.Way of being a legendJoaquín Sánchez is, without a doubt, one of the active legends of Spanish football. The Andalusian, one of the most respected players in the League, is on his way to becoming the field player with the most matches played in the Spanish First Division. This season he has already surpassed Manolo Sanchís (523), Paco Buyo (542) and Eusebio Sacristán (543). Osasuna, who returned to the First Division this season, added a total of 29 shots to turn the game around, being the team that has done the most in a game this season. 14 of those shots were on goal and three of them, those of Oier, Rubén García and Estupiñán, became a goal, showing that in Pamplona it is very difficult to get a good result. Those 29 shots are, in fact, the highest record for the Navarrese team in the highest category of Spanish football since the 2003/2004 campaign. With 544 matches behind him, if the competition can finally resume, this season he could beat Raúl González, who reached 550 with the Real Madrid shirt. Thus, he would become the field player with the most matches played. He would only have Andoni Zubizarreta ahead, who between 1981 and 1998 accumulated 622 matches. A figure that seems difficult to reach for the Betis player.The Bordalás sealGetafe is one of the revelation teams of the season. If last season he fought until the end for fourth place, which gives access to the Champions League, this year he seems to want to fight again. At the moment, on day 27, the Madrid team is fifth, tied on points with Real Sociedad, which occupies that dream fourth place. In this meeting, in addition, the blaugrana overcome the barrier of 1000 passes, specifically reaching 1002, which is also the highest pass record for Barça in a league game played at the Camp Nou since at least the 2005/2006 season. With Setién, overwhelming possession has once again become a hallmark of the Catalan painting.The King of DodgeIn the last game of FC Barcelona before the suspension of the League, where he faced Real Sociedad, Leo Messi became the player who has tried the most dribbles in a game this season. The Argentine tried to dribble an opponent up to 15 times. The azulgrana captain, in addition, would end up giving the three points to the culé team with a penalty goal in the 81st minute. A victory that allowed Barcelona to regain leadership, which it had lost on the previous day with the defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu. But that is not all. Messi is not only the player who has dribbled the most in a game this season, but also is the protagonist of two of the three matches in which a player has completed more dribbles. Ten were the ones that he successfully carried out precisely against the txuriurdin team, but he also got many others against Sevilla, in the Catalan team’s 4-0 victory at Camp Nou. Not in vain, He is the league’s most dribbling player, at 118, a far cry from Nabil Fekir’s 73, which occupies the second position.Wet gunpowderVillarreal and Atlético de Madrid starred on December 6 in the zero draw with the most finishes in the five major European leagues this season, along with Milan-Sassuolo. After 41 attempts, neither the ‘Submarino’ nor the rojiblanco team were able to beat Jan Oblak and Sergio Asenjo, respectively. In the 82nd minute, Benzema went down to the midfield to receive the ball, but his pass went directly to the feet of Andrés Guardado, who left Cristian Tello with three touches, who had entered to replace Joaquín. The former FC Barcelona would beat Courtois to establish the definitive 2-1 and leave the leadership in the hands of the Catalan team.The return of possessionOn January 19, FC Barcelona defeated Granada at home 1-0 thanks to a goal from their captain, Leo Messi, in the debut of Quique Setién as coach of the Barça team. In this match, the Catalan team had 82.44% possession, being the best record in a LaLiga game in the last eight seasons. In the 89th minute, Óscar Plano gave the first victory of the season to the Valladolid team after completing a play preceded, no more and no less, than 23 passes from his team, in which all the field players of the team trained by Sergio González participated. Before, Loren had tied a game in which Sergi Guardiola had advanced to Valladolid, who played practically the whole game with one more man due to the expulsion of Joel Robles in the 8th minute.Navarre bombardmentWith Rodrigo’s early goal, which overtook Valencia at El Sadar before the quarter hour of the game, the Celades team seemed to have the game on. But fifteen minutes later, everything turned against him. With the expulsion of Rodrigo himself, the match became an ordeal for the whole team.. A ruling that can cost a titleFrenchman Karim Benzema made the first mistake on the last day of the league that cost a goal for the first time in his entire league career with Real Madrid.. It was at Benito Villamarín, in a game in which Betis had advanced thanks to a goal from Sidnei and that Real Madrid striker himself had been responsible for tying when transforming a penalty. The great architect of all this is his coach, José Bordalás. The Alicante coach rescued the Azulones from the Second Division and took them to Europe thanks to an aggressive football philosophy that keeps its footballers with a high degree of concentration, allowing them to compete in the vast majority of matches. Getafe is, in fact, the team that has fouled the most (514) and received the most yellow cards (92) from the five major European leagues this season.The most elaborate goalThe most elaborate goal of the season came as soon as late, paradoxically. Soon because it was on the first day, specifically in the ninth game of the League, the one that faced Real Betis and Real Valladolid at Benito Villamarín. Late because he arrived at the end of the meeting. It was, in fact, the last goal of the day.read more

Iqra Ismail explains what hard What is it get into a team to be woman, muslim and dark skinned. “My kit is different. My religious convictions prevent me from wearing shorts and things like that. It’s something i have to always explainBecause I play soccer, but I also understand that I am a little different from the other players. It is not a big difference; it’s more like a little lack of communication that occurs sometimes and reminds me that I’m not like everyone else, “he tells FIFA.. She, somali at heart and with nationality English, founded NUR to avoid situations of this type. “We saw the great interest that the project had aroused. And it did not stop growing. It started with 15 girls, then there were 18, 23, 40 … It grew exponentially, in a way you never would have imagined, “adds Ismail, who has the FA’s Level 1 Coach License.As a marked challenge Since she was a child, when many people told her that I couldn’t play soccer, Iqra Ismail has set out cchange childhood and youth of all those ethnic minority women who love soccer like her. “It’s very important in thes lower categories, from the sub-10, sub-13, sub-16, or even in children under six and eight years. This idea, as well as a passion for soccer, must be instilled in them from a very young age. I want to tell you from a very young age: ‘You know what? If football is your passion, don’t quit. “” sentence this somali, that currently studying a degree in Sociology and Psychology and who leads resilience in English women’s football. “If you are a Muslim woman, you have more restrictions and you face more stereotypes,” so explains to FIFA Iqra Ismail, a Somali player born in England, the great barriers that you have faced to play football. She, what like Muslim woman has to fight those stereotypes not only in your own community, but also in the rest of the world. “The Women’s Football it is growing, yes, but let’s be honest: it is mainly growing among the white community and those with more privileges and resources, “denounces Ismail, who has founded NUR (‘Never Underestimate Resilience’ – ‘Never underestimate resilience’), a black women’s soccer team and ethnic minorities (BAME: Black, Asian, and Ethnic Minority People).read more

It is official. Juan Ferrando will be the coach of Indian FC Goa next season. The Catalan coach returns to the bench after several months of absence due to a bacterium that caused him to lose his vision, which led him to leave a Volos NFC which he led from the Third to the Greek First Division in just two seasons . Now fully recovered, Juan Ferrando will become the first coach to lead an Indian club in the AFC Champions League.Goa, one of the 10 teams that make up the Indian Super League, achieved a place in the group stage of the maximum continental competition after finishing the regular phase of the ISL in first position. The ‘gaurs’, on whose bench another Spaniard sat, Sergio LoberaUntil last February, they fell in the semifinals of the ‘play-off’ against Chennaiyin, which will prevent us from making history next year. Juan Ferrando was coordinator of the Espanyol football school and the physical trainer for Cesc Fábregas and Robin Van Persie at Arsenal. He won the Moldovan Super Cup and went through Ergotelis, Cultural and Linares, but it wasn’t until his return to Greece in 2017 that he started making a name for himself as an elite coach. The Catalan took the reins of a Volos NFC that played in Third and managed to promote him to the Greek Super League. The team was out of relegation when they had to leave the bench for health reasons.“I am incredibly excited to be part of the FC Goa family. I was very impressed and I would like to thank the club for giving me this opportunity. Together, with the support of all the fans, we will play good football and do everything we can to achieve success, “said Juan Ferrando after his transfer was made official.”We have a coach who shares our vision, philosophy and hunger for success“added Akshay Tandon, president of FC Goa.read more

To be chosen as the Atletico footballer who has signed, for the second, the best goal of the season, Aday has not solely surpassed Stuani. In the qualifiers earlier than the ultimate left Borja García (along with his goal in opposition to Zaragoza) and Álex Granell (along with his goal in opposition to Extremadura) on the approach. And it so occurs that Aday has received this ‘Cup of objectives’ thanks to the just one who has signed to date. He has participated in 19 League matches and now, if he resumes, he will likely be in a position to proceed growing his numbers. Like the relaxation of his teammates, he’s wanting ahead to competing once more and reaching his ultimate goal, which is promotion to First Division. Already there’s a winner for Girona the Girona Targets Cup ‘ that promoted somewhat greater than every week in the past the rojiblanca entity with the intention of selecting the best goal of the season. And it’s about Aday Benítez. His free-kick goal from exterior the space in opposition to Extremadura of the 23rd matchday, it was 2-0, it has served him to prevail in the ultimate in opposition to Cristhian Stuani, who competed along with his 1-Zero in opposition to the Fuenlabrada of the 17th matchday. Greater than 300 Girona followers have participated on this initiative and from the Girona membership they’ve congratulated Aday for the ‘title’, however it’s clear that “We nonetheless need extra.” They hope that they may compete once more and that there will likely be extra objectives.read more

KINGSTON (CMC): Cricket legend Michael Holding has blasted the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) as “dysfunctional” and “untrustworthy” and cautioned that the game is in danger of further deterioration if changes are not made. Holding’s public rebuke of the Dave Cameron-led WICB comes amid reports of defiance at the board’s quarterly meeting in St Lucia on Saturday. The WICB said it has retained the services of Dominican lawyer Anthony Astaphan to provide advice on the recommendations of the CARICOM report calling for the dissolution of the board. A WICB release quotes Astaphan as saying that the way forward is for the board and CARICOM to work together to improve the game in the region. “As for the state of West Indies cricket, that will only get worse as long as this current crop of board members remain there and the structure and culture remains the same,” Holding told Fairfax Media. “You cannot have a healthy productive employee workforce while the employer is dysfunctional, untrustworthy and not liked by the employees.” West Indies cricket has been marred by a turbulent relationship between the board and the players and last year the team abandoned a tour of India, leading to a US$42 million lawsuit from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The latest humiliation for the former world beaters came on the weekend when they crashed to an embarrassing innings and 212-run loss to Australia inside three day in the opening Test. – CMCread more